The CEO's Rented Wife

Aunt Ning wondered if Lina was not picking up her calls intentionally. She had called her yesterday night, and this morning too, but got no response. 'What would happen if that girl refused to continue with this job?' she thought. 'Nah! That is not possible. She said that she needed money. She will have to return back the entire money if she quits like this,' Ning assured herself.

Ning's husband, Jack, was still asleep as if nothing had happened. Ning knew that having discussions with him was not going to help. There was only one other person whom she had trusted during the time of Lina's training. She gave some calls to her most trustworthy employee, Jimmy*.

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*Jimmy worked as technical head in Wang Fashion House. He was Mrs. Dongmei's husband's son from his previous marriage.

He, along with his mother, had told Lina that they worked at Chinese Vigilance Bureau, and were after Wang to catch him red-handed for cheating Government of China.

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Jimmy was irritated at what had happened at the beach yesterday. His mother was not happy with him. Jimmy did not pick up Ning's calls.

Ning was frustrated. 'Where the hell is everyone lost?' she wondered. "I am sick of everybody! I need to think of something very fast," yelled Ning. Her yelling scared the maid who was in the kitchen. She ran outside the kitchen to check if everything was alright.

Ning asked the maid to give her the mobile that she had thrown on the floor, in anger. She called John, the head of the shooting department and the most famous photographer of the nation.

John, who was busy shortlisting the photographs that he had taken yesterday, picked up the call. "Hello, Mrs. Ning. What a pleasant surprise!" greeted John.

"Hello John! We did not get a chance to have a conversation at the beach yesterday. How about we have a small discussion, at my house, today?" asked Ning.

"Err.. Mrs. Ning, I would love to pay you a visit and discuss things with you, but there's so much work to do. You know how things were at the beach yesterday. I am presently stuck with thousands of photographs, from which I have to shortlist the best. I have been given a target by Wang. And, I don't want to annoy him. He's already very irritated with me," shared John.

"Oh! That's so bad! Why would Wang get irritated with such a hard worker? I observed everything yesterday. You were working so hard. Working with Hollywood's topmost actress is not something that everyone can do," praised Ning.

John was surprised at Ning's words. It was very rare to hear words of praise from aunt Ning. "Hmm. Thank you so much, Mrs. Ning. I feel encouraged already. What can I do for you?" asked John.

"I wanted to have an important discussion with you. Plus, we can have a talk on your salary increment for all the hard work you have been doing all these days," Ning hit the bulls eye again.

"Oh! Really! Wow! Thank you so much, Mrs. Ning. I'll be there in the noon." John couldn't be happier.

"See you at 12 in the noon. Bye." Ning replied and cut the phone call.

The maid observed everything and listened to the entire conversation. She saw a transformation in Ning's mood. Ning had a broad smile on her face. "I am so clever!" Ning praised herself. She looked at her maid and spoke again. "Do you feel the same when you look at my face?" asked Ning.

"Excuse me! I'm sorry, Mrs. Ning. I didn't get you," sighed the maid.

"Do you think that my face reflects my sharp brain and my cleverness?" Ning asked her maid.

Sara, the maid, was confused. She did not know what to reply. "Hmm.." the maid was speechless.

Aunt Ning waited for a few seconds and then spoke out. "Good! If you do not think that way, then that is a good thing. Because, clever people never let their cleverness revealed before others," winked aunt Ning.

"Yes, Mrs. Ning!" replied the maid with a sarcastic smile. She was not new to these mood fluctuations of her employer. She walked back towards the kitchen to prepare the breakfast.